JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Attorney General's Office is auditing how many untested rape kits there are in Missouri. Attorney General Josh Hawley announced the audit Thursday.
The announcement comes after a Columbia Missourian report that Missouri has never done a statewide review of untested rape kits, so the number of unprocessed kits is unknown. The newspaper reported that at least 32 other states have conducted audits.
Rape kits are a series of DNA samplings and other evidence secured via medical procedures conducted immediately after an attack. They can be used by law enforcement and prosecutors to catch and convict rapists.
Hawley says kits left untested can hinder those efforts.
Hawley says the Missouri investigation is aimed at uncovering the scope of the problem in Missouri, the agencies responsible and possibilities for change.
